Top and spinner therefor



July 17, 1928. 1,677,368

- F. X. RENETZKY TOP AND SPINNER THEREFOR Filed June 20, 1921 3mm: Frank 1 73612673 36.

WKAM

Patented July 17, 1928.

V FRANK x. BENETZKY, or

KANSAS CITY, Missouri;

TOP AND SPINNER THEREFOR.

Applicationfiled June 20,

My invention relates'to tops and spinners therefor and an important feature of the. invention resides in means for automatically winding up one cord while a companion cord is being unwound for the purpose of spinning the top.

A further object is to'provide a toy of this character which can be manufactured at small cost, and in order that the invention may be fully understood reference will now be had to the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the the spinner in position thereon.

Fig. 2 shows the top with the spinner removed.

Fig. 3 is a detail perspective view of the spinner with the cords thereof removed.

Fig. 4 is a front elevation partly in section of the spinner.

In carrying out the invention, I employ a suitable top 2 which is preferably hollow and of sheet metal construction. The intermediate portion of the top 2 is provided with openings 4 through which air passes when the top is spinning, causing the latter to sing. The top 2 is provided at its lower portion with an axial point 6 and at its upper portion with a primary axial shaft 8, which in the present instance is of tubular form and has a slot 10 similar in form to an ordinary bayonet slot, excepting that one side is inclined as indicated at 12, for a purpose which will hereinafter appear.

Referring now more particularly to the spinning device, 16 designates a handle provided at one end with a head 18 which has an intermediate bearing 20 connected at its opposite ends to guides 22 and 24. The guide 22 is connected to one end of a bearing 26, while the guide 24 is connected to one end of a bearing 28.

30 designates a secondary shaft which is journaled in the bearings 20, 26 and 28 and provided near the two last mentioned bearings with laterally projecting studs 32 and 34. 36 designates a cord which is secured to the shaft 30 at a point between the bearings 20 and 26 and extends through an eye 38 in the guide 22.

4O designates another cord secured to the shaft 30 at a point between the bearings 20 and 28 and extending through an eye 42 in the guide 24.

top with In practice one of the cords 'is wound upon the shaft and if it be the cord 40 as shown 1927. Serial No. 200,059. j

in Fig. 1, the adjacent end of the shaft 30 is inserted in the tubular shaft 8 and turned to cause the stud 34 to enter the lower transyerse portion of the slot 10. The handle 16. is then grasped with one hand to hold the shaft 30 and the top 2 in vertical position upon a smooth surface. The outer end of the cord 40 is then grasped with the other hand and rapidly pulled outwardly through the eye 42, so that it will unwind from the shaft 38 and rotate the latter at high speed, and in turn rotate the top 2 through the intermediary of the stud 34 on the shaft 8. After the cord 40 has been unwound from the shaft 30 the latter becomesstationary while the top 2 continues to. spin and by relieving the downward pressure upon the handle 16 the shaft 30 becomes disengaged from the shaft 8 by the inclined wall 12 of the slot 10 so that the top 2 may continue to spin without hindrance from said shaft 30. While the cord 40 is being unwound as stated, the cord 36 is being wound upon the shaft ready to spin the top after the spinning device 14 has been reversed and the stud 32 is placed in the slotted portion 10 of the shaft .8. Thus it will be understood that after one cord has been initially wound upon the shaft 30 each cord will become automatically wound upon said shaft, as the com.- panion cord is unwound to effect spinning of the top.

While I have shown a preferred embodiment of the invention, I reserve all rights to such changes and modifications as properly fall within the spirit and scope of the invention as claimed.

Having thus described my invention, what i I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent, isi

1. A top, a primary tubular shaft projecting from the upper portion of said top and provided with a slot, a reversible secondary shaft either end of which is adapted to enter said primary shaft, elements projecting from said secondary shaft and either of which is adapted to enter said slot, a support for the secondary shaft, and two cords attached to said secondary shaft and either of which may be wound thereon while the other is unwound therefrom to effect rotation of said secondary shaft and the spinning of the top. I

2. A top, a primary shaft projecting from the upper portion of said top, a secondary.

shaft for removably engaging and rotating said primary shaft, two cords attached to said secondary shaft and either of which may be wound thereon while the other is unwoundv therefrom to effect rotation of saidsecondary shaft and the spinning of the top, bearings in which the secondary shaft is mounted, and a laterally projecting handle connected to said bearings. a

3. A top, a primary shaft projecting from the upper portion of said top, a secondary shaft for removably engaging and rotating said primary shaft, two cords attached to said secondary shaft and either of which 'may be wound thereon while the other is unwound therefrom to effect rotation of said secondary shaft and the spinning of the top, three superimposed bearings spaced apart and in which the secondary shaft is journaled, a guide uniting one end of the intermediate bearing with one end of the upper bearing and through which one of the cords extends, a guide uniting the other end of said intermediate bearing with one end of the lower bearing and through which the other cord extends, and a handle projecting laterally from said bearings. a

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

FRANK X. RENETZKY'. i 

